


The Aftermath

by MyBeautifulDecay



Category: Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 18:45:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6622084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyBeautifulDecay/pseuds/MyBeautifulDecay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At the end of S2 Ep2 of Outlander, we see Claire make a horrific discovery. This is my take on what could happen next...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Aftermath

The carriage ride was long and jolting, the silence within; eerie. Jamie hadn’t failed to notice Claire’s ashen colour, her face was glossed in a sheen of sweat and he’d thought maybe the child was causing her some distress. He’d looked across the banquet hall to see her stood stock still, her eyes unfocused and her hands shaking and he’d immediately needed to get her home. She hadn’t spoken, hadn’t looked him in the eye the whole journey down to their carriage. 

"Sassenach, ye look as if ye’ve seen a ghost, are ye alright?“ He reached his hand out to take hers just as she lurched forward, yelling at the carriage driver.

"Pull over! Please!” She cried, pushing the door open in a rush and diving out onto the side of the road. She lost the contents of her stomach in the bushes. Murtagh was at her side in a second, only moments before Jamie but with enough time that Claire had a second to whisper at him, her eyes wide with fear. 

"He’s not dead, Murtagh. He’s alive!“ 

"Beò!” He replied, losing his ability to communicate in English with the sudden realisation of her revelation. 

"I should hope she is! Dinna be scaring me like that, Murtagh.“ Jamie jested, clapping his godfather on the back. 

Neither Claire nor Murtagh could find it in them to laugh back, luckily Jamie simply brushed it off and helped Claire get herself back into the carriage. 

–

Once safely ensconced back at Jared’s, Claire whipped straight upstairs, her heels clicking unevenly against the wood floors as she stumbled to her closet. She tore the damnable red dress off as fast as she could, her eyes blurring with tears as she tossed it onto the chaise and grabbed for her shift. It didn’t seem like there was enough oxygen in the room and she gasped in breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. 

Before she even knew was she was doing she’d taken a small vase from the sideboard and hurled it at the wall. The sound of the ceramic shattering echoed through the small room and she screamed through her sobbing. The water from the vase splattered over the wooden boards lining the walls, droplets dripping onto the floor, their sounds lost amongst Claire’s desperate cries.

”…injured?“ She choked out. "In. The. Line. Of. DUTY! F-fucking…BASTARD!” Her throat was raw, her eyes lined with red and her whole face flushed with anger. She’d pushed herself back against the wall now, gripping to it for dear life. In her turmoil she failed to notice she was no longer alone. Jamie walked slowly towards her and reached to cup her face, his eyes wide as he tried to take hold of his wife. He paled, frightened, unable to grasp what had Claire so worked up. 

"Who’s been injured, Sassenach? Ye have to tell me what’s got ye so upset, please!“ He begged, his eyes rushed to take in every aspect of her, making sure she and the bairn were still alright. Unable to see anything immediately wrong, he waited. Hoping above anything that she’d calm and tell him what had bothered her so.  
She shook, looking anywhere but at him. She knew the moment she got lost in his deep blue gaze she’d crumble and she wasn’t sure whether telling him this devastating news was the right thing to do. Her mind rebelled, there was no way she could keep this from him. Sandringham was sure to return, he was devious enough to cause an absolute storm and she couldn’t let him go back to court unawares of what might await him. 

Jamie, ignorant of her internal struggle, was trying, himself, to figure out what could have caused this break down so suddenly. He’d left her alone for only a moment with the Duke. His heart stopped. For one painful moment he held his breath. 

"What did the Duke say to ye, Claire?” His voice was unnaturally calm, his eyes clear as pools as he pulled at her chin, begging her to look at him. 

The moment Claire’s eyes latched on to his she broke once more. Her face crumbled and she cried out in alarm, the already harsh streaks of tears down her face being drowned out by a fresh wave of grief. She grabbed hold of Jamie then, wrapping her arms around him and digging her nails into the harsh wool of his overcoat. If she clung to him there was no way he could flee, she hoped. 

"H-he isn’t dead, Jamie.“ Having let go of her long enough for Claire to pull him close, his arms had hung loose by her sides. Now they tensed. His whole body tensed. Ready for battle. He had a split second to decide his next course of action, the words he so desperately didn’t want to hear rattling around in his skull. He knew whom she meant before she’d even uttered a single thing. Some part of him had known the moment he’d heard Claire’s screams from down in the hall. There was only one person who’d cause this much upset. Only one person linked to both them and the Duke, of course.

He linked his arms around Claire’s back, tightly. Anchoring himself to her and to the earth. She grounded him, kept him whole and stopped him from rushing off into the bleak Parisian night. Letting her weight pull him down, Claire slunk to the floor, still entwined with Jamie. It was there they stayed, wrapped in each other, clinging to the one thing that kept them solid and alive. Buried in Claire’s neck, Jamie let the anger flow out of him as the tears trailed down his hidden cheeks and dripped slowly onto Claire. All would be well, he told himself, so long as they had each other.


End file.
